Fabrication of complex three-dimensional microchannel systems in PDMS

This paper describes a method for fabricating three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic channel systems in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with complex topologies and geometries that include a knot, a spiral channel, a "basketweave" of channels, a chaotic advective mixer, a system with "braided" channels, and a 3D grid of channels. Pseudo-3D channels, which are topologically equivalent to planar channels, are generated by bending corresponding planar channels in PDMS out of the plane into 3D shapes. True 3D channel systems are formed on the basis of the strategy of decomposing these complex networks into substructures that are planar or pseudo-3D. A methodology is developed that connects these planar and/or pseudo-3D structures to generate PDMS channel systems with the original 3D geometry. This technique of joining separate channel structures can also be used to create channel systems in PDMS over large areas by connecting features on different substrates. The channels can be used as templates to form 3D structures in other materials.     

Three-dimensional interconnected microporous poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices

This technical note presents a fabrication method and applications of three-dimensional (3D) interconnected microporous poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic devices. Based on soft lithography, the microporous PDMS microfluidic devices were fabricated by molding a mixture of PDMS pre-polymer and sugar particles in a microstructured mold. After curing and demolding, the sugar particles were dissolved and washed away from the microstructured PDMS replica revealing 3D interconnected microporous structures. Other than introducing microporous structures into the PDMS replica, different sizes of sugar particles can be used to alter the surface wettability of the microporous PDMS replica. Oxygen plasma assisted bonding was used to enclose the microstructured microporous PDMS replica using a non-porous PDMS with inlet and outlet holes. A gas absorption reaction using carbon dioxide (CO(2)) gas acidified water was used to demonstrate the advantages and potential applications of the microporous PDMS microfluidic devices. We demonstrated that the acidification rate in the microporous PDMS microfluidic device was approximately 10 times faster than the non-porous PDMS microfluidic device under similar experimental conditions. The microporous PDMS microfluidic devices can also be used in cell culture applications where gas perfusion can improve cell survival and functions.     

Design and fabrication of chemically robust three-dimensional microfluidic valves

A current problem in microfluidics is that poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), used to fabricate many microfluidic devices, is not compatible with most organic solvents. Fluorinated compounds are more chemically robust than PDMS but, historically, it has been nearly impossible to construct valves out of them by multilayer soft lithography (MSL) due to the difficulty of bonding layers made of "non-stick" fluoropolymers necessary to create traditional microfluidic valves. With our new three-dimensional (3D) valve design we can fabricate microfluidic devices from fluorinated compounds in a single monolithic layer that is resistant to most organic solvents with minimal swelling. This paper describes the design and development of 3D microfluidic valves by molding of a perfluoropolyether, termed Sifel, onto printed wax molds. The fabrication of Sifel-based microfluidic devices using this technique has great potential in chemical synthesis and analysis.     

Separation of planar chiral ferrocene derivatives on beta-cyclodextrin-based polymer supports prepared via ring-opening metathesis graft-polymerization

A plastic microfluidic system, containing porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes adsorbed with bovine serum albumin (BSA), is demonstrated for high resolution chiral separation of racemic tryptophan and thiopental mixtures. Microfluidic networks on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates are fabricated by capillary molding technique. This miniaturized chiral separation system consists of two layers of PVDF membranes which are sandwiched between two PDMS slabs containing microchannels facing the membranes. On-line adsorption of BSA onto the membranes is employed for the preparation of chiral stationary phase and the evaluation of solution conditions in an effort to achieve maximum protein adsorption. Variations in the mobile phase conditions, including solution pH and ammonium sulfate concentration, are studied for their effects on chiral separation. Based on the large surface area to volume ratio of porous membrane media, adsorbed BSA onto the PVDF membranes enables high resolution separation of racemic mixtures with sample consumption of sub-nanogram or less in the integrated microfluidic networks. In addition, the membrane pore diameter in the submicron range eliminates the constraints of diffusional mass-transfer resistance during protein adsorption and chiral chromatographic processes.     

Microwave plasma treatment of polymer surface for irreversible sealing of microfluidic devices

Microwave plasma was generated in a glass bottle containing 2-3 Torr of oxygen for plasma treatment of a polymer surface. A "kitchen microwave oven" and a dedicated microwave digestion oven were used as the power source. Poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) slabs treated by a 30 W plasma for 30-60 s sealed irreversibly to form microfluidic devices that can sustain solution flow of an applied pressure of 42 psi without leaking. Experimental set up and conditions for the production of a homogeneous plasma to activate the PDMS surface for irreversible sealing are described in detail. The surface of a microwave plasma-treated PDMS slab was characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and attenuated total reflection-Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The plasma-treated surface bears silica characteristics.     

A polymeric master replication technology for mass fabrication of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices

A protocol of producing multiple polymeric masters from an original glass master mold has been developed, which enables the production of multiple poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices in a low-cost and efficient manner. Standard wet-etching techniques were used to fabricate an original glass master with negative features, from which more than 50 polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) positive replica masters were rapidly created using the thermal printing technique. The time to replicate each PMMA master was as short as 20 min. The PMMA replica masters have excellent structural features and could be used to cast PDMS devices for many times. An integration geometry designed for laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection, which contains normal deep microfluidic channels and a much deeper optical fiber channel, was successfully transferred into PDMS devices. The positive relief on seven PMMA replica masters is replicated with regard to the negative original glass master, with a depth average variation of 0.89% for 26-microm deep microfluidic channels and 1.16% for the 90 mum deep fiber channel. The imprinted positive relief in PMMA from master-to-master is reproducible with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.06% for the maximum width and 0.46% for depth in terms of the separation channel. The PDMS devices fabricated from the PMMA replica masters were characterized and applied to the separation of a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled epinephrine sample.     

Monitoring spatial distribution of ethanol in microfluidic channels by using a thin layer of cholesteric liquid crystal

Monitoring spatial distribution of chemicals in microfluidic devices by using traditional sensors is a challenging task. In this paper, we report utilization of a thin layer of cholesteric liquid crystal for monitoring ethanol inside microfluidic channels. This thin layer can be either a polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystal (PDCLC) layer or a free cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layer separated from the microfluidic device by using a thin film of PDMS. They both show visible colorimetric responses to 4% of ethanol solution inside the microfluidic channels. Moreover, the spatial distribution of ethanol inside the microfluidic channel can be reflected as a color map on the CLC sensing layers. By using this device, we successfully detected ethanol produced from fermentation taking place inside the microfluidic channel. These microfluidic channels with embedded PDCLC or embedded CLC offer a new sensing solution for monitoring volatile organic compounds in microfluidic devices.     

3D‐Printed Microfluidics

The advent of soft lithography allowed for an unprecedented expansion in the field of microfluidics. However, the vast majority of PDMS microfluidic devices are still made with extensive manual labor, are tethered to bulky control systems, and have cumbersome user interfaces, which all render commercialization difficult. On the other hand, 3D printing has begun to embrace the range of sizes and materials that appeal to the developers of microfluidic devices. Prior to fabrication, a design is digitally built as a detailed 3D CAD file. The design can be assembled in modules by remotely collaborating teams, and its mechanical and fluidic behavior can be simulated using finite‐element modeling. As structures are created by adding materials without the need for etching or dissolution, processing is environmentally friendly and economically efficient. We predict that in the next few years, 3D printing will replace most PDMS and plastic molding techniques in academia.     

Components for integrated poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic systems

This review describes the design and fabrication of microfluidic systems in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). PDMS is a soft polymer with attractive physical and chemical properties: elasticity, optical transparency, flexible surface chemistry, low permeability to water, and low electrical conductivity. Soft lithography makes fabrication of microfluidic systems in PDMS particularly easy. Integration of components, and interfacing of devices with the user, is also convenient and simpler in PDMS than in systems made in hard materials. Fabrication of both single and multilayer microfluidic systems is straightforward in PDMS. Several components are described in detail: a passive chaotic mixer, pneumatically actuated switches and valves, a magnetic filter, functional membranes, and optical components.     

Highly sensitive signal detection of duplex dye-labelled DNA oligonucleotides in a PDMS microfluidic chip: confocal surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic study

Rapid and highly sensitive detection of duplex dye-labelled DNA sequences in a PDMS microfluidic channel was investigated using confocal surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). This method does not need either an immobilization procedure or a PCR amplification procedure, which are essential for a DNA microarray chip. Furthermore, Raman peaks of each dye-labelled DNA can be easily resolved since they are much narrower than the corresponding broad fluorescence bands. To find the potential applicability of confocal SERS for sensitive bio-detection in a microfluidic channel, the mixture of two different dye-labelled (TAMRA and Cy3) sex determining Y genes, SRY and SPGY1, was adsorbed on silver colloids in the alligator teeth-shaped PDMS microfluidic channel and its SERS signals were measured under flowing conditions. Its major SERS peaks were observable down to the concentration of 10(-11) M. In the present study, we explore the feasibility of confocal SERS for the highly sensitive detection of duplex dye-labelled DNA oligonucleotides in a PDMS microfluidic chip.     

Chemically resistant microfluidic valves from Viton® membranes bonded to COC and PMMA

We present a reliable technique for irreversibly bonding chemically inert Viton? membranes to PMMA and COC substrates to produce microfluidic devices with integrated elastomeric structures. Viton? is widely used in commercially available valves and has several advantages when compared to other elastomeric membranes currently utilised in microfluidic valves (e.g. PDMS), such as high solvent resistance, low porosity and high temperature tolerance. The bond strength was sufficient to withstand a fluid pressure of 400 kPa (PMMA/Viton?) and 310 kPa (COC/Viton?) before leakage or burst failure, which is sufficient for most microfluidic applications. We demonstrate and characterise on-chip pneumatic Viton? microvalves on PMMA and COC substrates. We also provide a detailed method for bonding fluorinated Viton? elastomer, a highly chemically compatible material, to PMMA and COC polymers. This allows the production of microfluidic devices able to handle a wide range of chemically harsh fluids and broadens the scope of the microfluidic platform concept.     

T cell chemotaxis in a simple microfluidic device

This paper describes the use of a simple microfluidic device for studying T cell chemotaxis. The microfluidic device is fabricated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) using soft-lithography and consists of a "Y" type fluidic channel. Solutions are infused into the device by syringe pumps and generate a concentration gradient in the channel by diffusion. We show that the experimentally measured gradient profiles agree nicely with theoretical predictions and the gradient is stable in the observation region for cell migration. Using this device, we demonstrate robust chemotaxis of human T cells in response to single and competing gradients of chemokine CCL19 and CXCL12. Because of the simplicity of the device, it can flexibly control gradient generation in space and time, and would allow generation of multiple gradient conditions in a single chip for highly parallel chemotaxis experimentation. Visualization of T cell chemotaxis has previously been limited to studies in 3D matrices or under agarose assays, which do not allow precise control or variation in conditions. Acknowledging the importance of lymphocyte homing in the adaptive immune response, the ability to study T cell chemotaxis in microfluidic devices offers a new approach for investigating lymphocyte migration and chemotaxis in vitro.     

Control of the ZnO nanowires nucleation site using microfluidic channels

We report on the growth of uniquely shaped ZnO nanowires with high surface area and patterned over large areas by using a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channel technique. The synthesis uses first a patterned seed template fabricated by zinc acetate solution flowing though a microfluidic channel and then growth of ZnO nanowire at the seed using thermal chemical vapor deposition on a silicon substrate. Variations the ZnO nanowire by seed pattern formed within the microfluidic channel were also observed for different substrates and concentrations of the zinc acetate solution. The photocurrent properties of the patterned ZnO nanowires with high surface area, due to their unique shape, were also investigated. These specialized shapes and patterning technique increase the possibility of realizing one-dimensional nanostructure devices such as sensors and optoelectric devices.     

Interaction of chitosan and mucin in a biomembrane model environment

Thermoplastics have been increasingly used for fabricating microfluidic devices because of their low cost, mechanical/biocompatible attributes, and well-established manufacturing processes. However, there is sometimes a need to integrate such a device with components made from other materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Bonding thermoplastics with PDMS to produce hybrid devices is not straightforward. We have reported our method to modify the surface property of a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) substrate by using corona discharge and grafting polymerization of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate; the modified surface enabled strong bonding of COC with PDMS. In this paper, we report our studies on the surface modification mechanism using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurement. Using this bonding method, we fabricated a three-layer (COC/PDMS/COC) hybrid device consisting of elastomer-based valve arrays. The microvalve operation was confirmed through the displacement of a dye solution in a fluidic channel when the elastomer membrane was pneumatically actuated. Valve-enabled microfluidic handling was demonstrated.     

Microfluidic devices for culturing primary mammalian neurons at low densities

Microfluidic devices have been used to study high-density cultures of many cell types. Because cell-to-cell signaling is local, however, there exists a need to develop culture systems that sustain small numbers of neurons and enable analyses of the microenvironments. Such cultures are hard to maintain in stable form, and it is difficult to prevent cell death when using primary mammalian neurons. We demonstrate that postnatal primary hippocampal neurons from rat can be cultured at low densities within nanoliter-volume microdevices fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Doing so requires an additional fabrication step, serial extractions/washes of PDMS with several solvents, which removes uncrosslinked oligomers, solvent and residues of the platinum catalyst used to cure the polymer. We found this step improves the biocompatibility of the PDMS devices significantly. Whereas neurons survive for > or = 7 days in open channel microdevices, the ability to culture neurons in closed-channel devices made of untreated, native PDMS is limited to < or = 2 days. When the closed-channel PDMS devices are extracted, biocompatibility improves allowing for reliable neuron cultures at low densities for > or = 7 days. Comparisons made to autoclaved PDMS and native, untreated PDMS reveal that the solvent-treated polymer is superior in sustaining low densities of primary neurons in culture. When neuronal affinity for local substrates is observed directly, we find that axons localize to channel corners and prefer PDMS surfaces to glass in hybrid devices. When perfusing the channels with media by gravity flow, cultured hippocampal neurons survive for > or = 11 days. Extracting PDMS improves biocompatibility of microfluidic devices and thus enables the study of differentiation of identifiable neurons and the characterization of local extracellular signals.     

Bioactive heparin immobilized onto microfluidic channels in poly(dimethylsiloxane) results in hydrophilic surface properties

A new composition of heparin coating for microfluidic systems made out of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was developed and evaluated. The coating that consists of a conditioning polyamine layer followed by two heparin/glutaraldehyde layers, resulted in channel surfaces with sufficient wettability to obtain flow of human normal plasma by capillary force alone. Hydrophilic channel walls are a desirable characteristic in microfluidic devices, since alternative pumping mechanisms must otherwise be included into the system. The immobilized heparin showed high antithrombin-binding capacity and a low degree of blood–material interaction. Plasma in contact with heparin-coated PDMS formed no detectable fibrin in a spectrophotometric assay by which plasma in contact with non-treated PDMS showed complete coagulation. The quartz crystal microbalance technique with energy dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was utilized to obtain detailed information regarding adsorption kinetics and structural properties of the different layers composing the heparin coating.     

Polyurethane-based microfluidic devices for blood contacting applications

Protein adsorption on PDMS surfaces poses a significant challenge in microfluidic devices that come into contact with biofluids such as blood. Polyurethane (PU) is often used for the construction of medical devices, but despite having several attractive properties for biointerfacing, it has not been widely used in microfluidic devices. In this work we developed two new fabrication processes for making thin, transparent and flexible PU-based microfluidic devices. Methods for the fabrication and bonding of microchannels, the integration of fluidic interconnections and surface modification with hydrophilic polyethylene oxide (PEO) to reduce protein adsorption are detailed. Using these processes, microchannels were produced having high transparency (96% that of glass in visible light), high bond strength (326.4 kPa) and low protein adsorption (80% reduction in fibrinogen adsorption vs. unmodified PDMS), which is critical for prevention of fouling. Our findings indicate that PEO modified PU could serve as an effective alternative to PDMS in blood contacting microfluidic applications.     

Teflon films for chemically-inert microfluidic valves and pumps

We present a simple method for fabricating chemically-inert Teflon microfluidic valves and pumps in glass microfluidic devices. These structures are modeled after monolithic membrane valves and pumps that utilize a featureless polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane bonded between two etched glass wafers. The limited chemical compatibility of PDMS has necessitated research into alternative materials for microfluidic devices. Previous work has shown that spin-coated amorphous fluoropolymers and Teflon-fluoropolymer laminates can be fabricated and substituted for PDMS in monolithic membrane valves and pumps for space flight applications. However, the complex process for fabricating these spin-coated Teflon films and laminates may preclude their use in many research and manufacturing contexts. As an alternative, we show that commercially-available fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) Teflon films can be used to fabricate chemically-inert monolithic membrane valves and pumps in glass microfluidic devices. The FEP Teflon valves and pumps presented here are simple to fabricate, function similarly to their PDMS counterparts, maintain their performance over extended use, and are resistant to virtually all chemicals. These structures should facilitate lab-on-a-chip research involving a vast array of chemistries that are incompatible with native PDMS microfluidic devices.     

A simple method for preparation of macroporous polydimethylsiloxane membrane for microfluidic chip-based isoelectric focusing applications

A new, simple method was reported to prepare PDMS membranes with micrometer size pores for microfluidic chip applications. The pores were formed by adding polystyrene and toluene into PDMS prepolymer solution prior to spin-coating and curing. The resulting PDMS membrane has a thickness of around 10 μm and macropores with a diameter ranging from 1 to 2 μm measured using scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. This PDMS membrane was validated by integrating it with PDMS microfluidic chips for protein separation using isoelectric focusing mechanism coupled with whole channel imaging detection (IEF-WCID). It has been shown that five standard pI markers and a mixture of two proteins, myoglobin and β-lactoglobulin, can be separated using these chips. The results indicated that this macroporous PDMS membrane can replace the dialysis membrane in PDMS chips for the IEF-WCID technique. The preparation method of macroporous PDMS membrane may be potentially applied in other fields of microfluidic chips.     

Enhanced Microchip Electrophoresis of Neurotransmitters on Glucose Oxidase Modified Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Microfluidic Devices

In this paper, glucose oxidase (GOx) was employed to construct a functional film on the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channel surface and apply to perform electrophoresis coupled with in‐channel electrochemical detection. The film was formed by sequentially immobilizing poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and GOx to the microfluidic channel surface via layer‐by‐layer (LBL) assembly. A group of neurotransmitters (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5‐HT; dopamine, DA; epinephrine, EP; dobuamine, DBA) as a group of separation model was used to evaluate the effect of the functional PDMS microfluidic devices. Electroosmotic flow (EOF) in the modified PDMS microchannel was well suppressed compared with that in the native one. Experimental conditions were optimized in detail. As expected, these analytes were efficiently separated within 110 s in a 3.7 cm long separation channel and successfully detected at a single carbon fiber electrode. Good performances were attributed to the decreased EOF and the interactions of analytes with the immobilized GOx on the PDMS surface. The theoretical plate numbers were 2.19×10⁵, 1.89×10⁵, 1.76×10⁵, and 1.51×10⁵ N/m at the separation voltage of 1000 V with the detection limits of 1.6, 2.0, 2.5 and 6.8 μM (S/N=3) for DA, 5‐HT, EP and DBA, respectively. In addition, the modified PDMS channels had long‐term stability and excellent reproducibility.